WOMEN’S SPORTS & FITNESS FACTS & STATISTICS (Compiled by the Women’s Sports Foundation, Updated 3/26/09) This compilation of facts is a representative sample of the data that exists in women’s sports as of the publication date. If a reference appears old (i.e. 1975, 1985), it generally means that either there has been so much research on the topic that researchers see no need to replicate the studies or that the Foundation has found no more recent credible studies on the topic. Acronyms for sport organizations are used only following an initial full reference, so if an unfamiliar acronym is encountered, look for an earlier reference. Facts in bold have been updated or are new since the last version. Table of Contents I. Benefits of Participation ................................................................................................................2 II. Physical Health….………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………….6 III. Leadership/Employment .............................................................................................................. 9 A. High School/ College (includes salaries, recruitment & budgets) ..................... 9 B. Olympic Games..................................................................................................................... 13 C. Professional Sports (includes salaries & prize money)..........................................14 D. Business ...................................................................................................................................18 IV. Race & Ethnicity ..............................................................................................................................19 V. Sports for People with Disabilities .......................................................................................... 23 VI. Media Coverage.............................................................................................................................. 25 VII. Participation.....................................................................................................................................28 A. Pre-Adolescent ....................................................................................................................28 B. High School ............................................................................................................................ 31 C. College .................................................................................................................................... 33 D. Adult.........................................................................................................................................36 E. Senior.......................................................................................................................................38 F. Olympic Games....................................................................................................................38 G. Professional .......................................................................................................................... 40 VIII. Sports Business.............................................................................................................................. 40 IX. Viewership/Attendance................................................................................................................41 X. Consumer Behavior.......................................................................................................................46 XI. Internet...............................................................................................................................................47 XII. Cause Branding...............................................................................................................................48 Eisenhower Park, 1899 Hempstead Turnpike, Suite 400, East Meadow, NY 11554 — business phone: 516-542-4700 — infoline: 800-227-3988 — fax: 516-542-4716 — e-mail: [email protected] — web site: WomensSportsFoundation.org I. BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATION • Female high school athletes are 41% more likely to graduate from college within six years compared to female high school students who did not participate in sports. (Youth and Society Journal as cited in “Study Cites Athletics’ Academic Impact.” The NCAA News, January 28, 2008.) • A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discovered that girls who received the highest levels of physical education, or 70 to 300 minutes a week, scored consistently higher on the tests than those who spent less than 35 minutes a week. The findings come at a time where only 12.6% of students meet the Healthy People 2010 objective of daily participation in phys-ed and receive physical education only one or two times a week. (Carlson, Susan. (2008). “Physical Education and Academic Achievement in Elementary School: Data From the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study.” American Journal of Public Health as cited in USA Today, March, 2008.) • In an examination of 2008 NCAA Division I Sweet 16 basketball programs, four women’s programs had a graduation success rate (GSR) of 100%, compared to only one men’s program. Additionally, no women’s teams had lower than 55% GSR, while eight men’s teams had a GSR of less than 55%. Overall, female student-athletes did better academically than male student-athletes. However, there is a large gap between Caucasian and African-American student-athletes for both men’s and women’s teams, with Caucasian students graduating at higher rates than African- American students. (Lapchick, R. & Little, E., (2008.) “Keeping Score When It Counts: Sweet 16 Men’s and Women’s Teams, A Look at Their Academic Success.” University of Central Florida, The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport.) • Female Division I student-athletes entering college during the 2001-2002 academic year had higher graduation success rates than their non-athlete peers and male student-athletes. Female student-athlete graduation rates were seven percentage points higher than that of non-athlete female students (72%, compared to 65%). Additionally, male students graduated at 59%, while male student-athletes graduated at a rate of 57%. (“Big Gains for Blacks and Women.” NCAA News, Fall 2008.) • More than 80% of women’s collegiate basketball teams graduated 70% of their student- athletes. (Lapchick, Richard. (2008). “Graduation Rates Show Promise, Room for Improvement.” Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal.) • Among the 2008 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament teams, 61 women’s teams (97%) and 31 (48%) men’s teams graduated at least 60% of their student-athletes. One women’s team and 14 men’s teams (22%) graduated less than 40%. (Lapchick, R. & Little, E. (2008). “Keeping Score When it Counts: Graduation Rates for 2008 NCAA Women’s Division I Basketball Tournament Teams.” University of Central Florida, The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport.) • According to an Oxygen/Markle Pulse poll, 56% of women agree with the statement that seeing successful female athletes makes them feel proud to be a woman. (Marketing to Women, March 2001.) • According to a study of 2,993 women, older women who exercise tend to be motivated toward physical activity by expectations of benefit to their health and longevity. Inactive women tend not to have the self-confidence, skill and experience with physical activity that active women do. (“Motivation for exercise studied.” Melpomene Journal, Fall 1997.) WOMEN’S SPORTS & FITNESS FACTS & STATISTICS Compiled by the Women's Sports Foundation, Updated 3/27/2009 2 • In a study of 17,000 Medicare beneficiaries, researchers found that the average, non- overweight female costs the program $6,224 per year, but overweight and obese patients cost Medicare $7,653 and $9,612 each year, respectively. (Journal of the American Medical Association as cited in “Overweight in youth adulthood and middle age increases health care costs after age 65.” Robert Wood Johnson Foundation newsletter, Dec. 2004.) • In 2003, the estimated total national cost of physical inactivity was $251.11 billion, while the estimated total national cost for excess weight was $256.57 billion. These numbers include the cost of medical care, worker’s compensation and productivity losses. An estimated $31 billion could be saved per year with a 5% reduction of physically inactive and overweight adults. (Chenoweth, D. & Leutzinger, J. (2006). “The Economic Cost of Physical Inactivity and Excess Weight in American Adults.” Journal of Physical Activity and Health.) • A Harvard study that followed 72,488 nurses for eight years concluded that the more a woman exercises, the lower the odds she will suffer a stroke. (Journal of the American Medical Association as cited in “Physically active women reduce risk of stroke: Walking is step in right direction.” Harvard University Gazette, June 15, 2000.) • High school sports participation may help prevent osteoporosis (loss of bone mass). Bone density has been shown to be an important factor in preventing osteoporosis from occurring in the first place. Purdue University researchers found that of minimally active women aged 18-31, those who had participated in high school sports had a significantly greater bone density than those who had not. (Teegarden, D., et al. (1996). “Previous physical activity relates to bone mineral measures in young women.” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.) • Researchers from Penn State say exercise may be more important